Topic Thursday // Hearing Voices - functioning day to day // *IN SESSION*

[Former-Member]

@Former-Member, in the true story movie "a beautiful mind" john nash eventually managed his hallucinations by telling them to give him space and by becoming skilled at differentiating what was real & what was not. Have you seen this in MH circles? Are some cured?

[Sehnsucht]

When I was a child, I would have this same hallucination whenever my temperature was rising, I presume, as it only ever happened when the kind of ill that causes vomiting. I called it 'fat fingers', and it was incredibly frustrating that no one knew what was going on!
The easiest way to describe it was that the touch response I got from my hands, did not correlate with what I was seeing. The distance between my fingers with the feedback my brain was receiving, had them touching and pressing hard on each other. But I could look down at my hands and see they were still normal.


Even though I was grounded in reality, it was still terribly frightening. I think what I've taken so far from the advice given in respect to what to do when faced with someone hallucinating, is that acknowledgement is very important. It's not telling someone that it's real, it's simply saying I believe this is what you are experiencing.

Panic attacks, I've had a few in adult life. They come with that same weird feeling, but that is one more of compression than expansion. Regardless, my sense of relative space in these instances is completely off and unpleasant.

I think, reading this conversation so far, it is probably really important to get the message out that delusions and hallucinations do not of themselves equate to schizophrenia. People hallucinate when ill or on medication, often! It's something we could all have to manage at some point in our lives, regardless of our MI.

[GonePirate]

im a couple days late to the party its thursdy after all

but this thread struck a cord with me and something ive experianced again recently

first time in years

I have experienced voices a couple times in my life

always when manic or approaching mania

starts as electric chatter little pitter patter hard to make out mumbling and shit

eventually grows over the next few days into words I can comprehend

I try hard to identify if it is thought or voice

and if its voice I try determine if I know it

sometimes its reflective of people I know

mates lost my mother my abuser

often its unknown and that sucks

I try make out what they are saying

but because they are negative and unhelpful not usefull in any way I do not aknowledge them

sometimes I ignore them

sometimes I refute and rebut what they are saying

other times I just like say ok that your opinion now rack off

other times still as I said I ignore them

they get powerfull at times

they have evidence and are strong

but its not an always thing

it only sometimes pops up when mania is about

[Former-Member]

I've read that book @Former-Member, its a great book.

I know a few people who have recovered and no longer hear voices. Due to different techniques and therapies they have used. One person talked about learning to identify what his voices were trying to tell him. When he finally discovered what they were saying, he was able to work through the reason they existed and they eventually disapeared.

Others believe that hearing voices is a natural human eperiencing and are able to come to terms with their voices and manage them every day. 

One of the steps he talked about what learning that the voices were not the problem, but were the consequences of the 'real' problem.

You should check out a hearing voices group in your local area - they support people in so may different ways

Try contacting 'hearing voices network' to find a group in your area.

Outlanderali 

[Former-Member]

here here!!!! @Sehnsucht

That is so important for people to understand!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[Former-Member]

Thanks @Former-Member, and everyone else, this has been helpful, have to sign off, night.😴

[NikNik]

So just a quick time check; we have 10 mins to go 🙂

Last comments and questions encouraged!

[Former-Member]

What about what doesn't help????

• Being told not to talk to your voices
• Labelling
• Stigma
• Other people denying your experiences aren't real
• Being isolated
• Lack of sleep
• misunderstanding

What would you like people NOT to do???

[Former-Member]

@GonePirate Thanks for sharing your experiences!!!!!

[GonePirate]

don't tell me I'm crazy

that's what I want people not to do

cause I already know I am haha